College is right around the corner. Here are scholarships open to high school seniors who are off to college in the fall.

Varsity Tutors College Scholarship Contest
Sponsor: Varsity Tutors
Amount: $200.00
Closing Date: August 15, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 16 years of age or older. Applicant must submit an essay on the following prompt: “Think about a time you had to learn from feedback—how did it shape your approach to learning or personal growth?”

Breaking New Ground Scholarship
Sponsor: Kisner Law
Amount: $1,500.00
Closing Date: August 19, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors and current college students who are at least 17 years of age. Applicant must be a first-generation college student and have a proven record of maintaining a job while in high school.

Innovation in Education Scholarship
Sponsor: LaTutors
Amount: $500.00
Closing Date: August 20, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students currently enrolled in high school or college within the United States with at least 3.0 GPA. Applicant must be a citizen of, permanent resident, or hold a valid student visa in the United States or Canada. Applicant must have designed an innovative project that makes a difference in the lives of others and submit an essay describing the goal of the particular project and provide supporting documentation.

DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG)
Sponsor: DC.gov – Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Amount: Up to $10,000
Closing Date: August 21, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens who are residents of the District of Columbia and are 26 years of age or younger. Applicant must be an incoming or current undergraduate student.

Providian Medical Scholarship
Sponsor: Providian Medical Equipment
Amount: $500.00
Closing Date: August 21, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students 16 years of age and older who are graduating high school seniors and current college students in the United States with at least a 3.0 GPA. Applicant must submit an essay on how medical equipment technology has changed the face of a college course and curriculum.

All Star Verified Scholarship
Sponsor: Verified Scholarships
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to high school, college, graduate, adult students, and parents of high school and college students. Applicant must fill out a short form and answer the following question: “What is the best or worst part about finding or applying to scholarships?”

Apprentice Ecologist Essay Scholarship
Sponsor: Nicodemus Wilderness Project
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to high school juniors and seniors. Applicants should embody the spirit of the Apprentice Ecologist Initiative by showing personal initiative & dedication, demonstrated leadership & self-growth, and project accomplishments & sustainability.

Apprentice Ecologist Initiative Youth Scholarship Program
Sponsor: Nicodemus Wilderness Project
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarships are open to students between the ages of 13 and 21 who are candidates for a degree/diploma at a primary (middle school), secondary (high school), or accredited post-secondary educational institution from any country around the world. Applicant must conduct their own environmental stewardship project.

Art Scholarship
Sponsor: California Freethought Day
Amount: $500.00
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship Is open to California high school and colleges students. Applicant must create a two-dimensional artwork responding to the following prompt: “Information Literacy.”

C.I.P. Scholarship
Sponsor: College is Power
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students age 17 years of age or older who plan to start a program of higher education within 12 months or who are currently enrolled in a program of higher education. Applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.

Discover Student Loans Scholarship
Sponsor: Discover Financial Services
Amount: $5,000.00
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors and undergraduate students who are 16 years of age or older. Applicant must sign up to receive helpful tips on planning and paying for college and they will be automatically entered into the sweepstakes.

Driver Education Initiative Award
Sponsor: National Driving and Traffic School
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, and college freshmen. Applicant must submit an essay on many given topics related to safe driving.

Excelsior Scholarship Program
Sponsor: New York State Higher Education Services Corporation
Amount: Up to $5,500
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to New York State residents who are pursuing an undergraduate degree at a SUNY or CUNY college, including community colleges and statutory colleges at Cornell University and Alfred University. Applicant must be enrolled in at least 12 credits per term.

Freethought Day High School Video Scholarship
Sponsor: California Freethought Day
Amount: $1,500.00
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to United States high school and college students. Applicant must create a PSA-style video responding to the following prompt: “Information Literacy.”

Haiku Scholarship
Sponsor: California Freethought Day
Amount: $100.00
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to residents of the United states who currently attend high school (grades 9-12) or college (any level). Applicant must submit a haiku answering the following prompt: “Information Literacy.”

Make Me Laugh Scholarship
Sponsor: Unigo
Amount: $1,500.00
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students 14 years of age or older who are legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. Applicant must share an incident in their life, funny or embarrassing (fact or fiction) that will make us laugh.

MoolahSPOT $1,000 Scholarship
Sponsor: MoolahSPOT
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students at least 16 years or older who plan to attend, or are currently attending, college or graduate school. Students may be of any nationality and reside in any country. Applicant must submit a short form and a short essay.

Pizza Hut Foundation Scholarships
Sponsor: Pizza Hut Foundation
Amount: Up to $2,000
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students enrolled in or on-track to apply to an accredited post-high school higher education program (including accredited two-and four-year colleges, universities, vocational-technical and trade schools). Applicant must have at least a 2.5 GPA.

RentHop’s College and University Scholarship Program
Sponsor: RentHop.com
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to current students in an eligible undergraduate program or a graduating high school senior, working towards a bachelors or associates degree. Applicant must submit an essay on a given topic related to technology.

Scholarship Detective Launch Scholarship
Sponsor: Scholarship Detective
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to high school and college students who are permanent residents of the United States. Applicant must fill out a short online application and share in 140 characters or less how they will use the scholarship.

Written Speech Scholarship
Sponsor: California Freethought Day
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to California high school students (grades 9-12) who plan to pursue post-secondary education at a community college, four-year college, trade school, or vocation school. Applicant must submit a written speech of 300-500 words on the following theme: “Pretend that you’ve been invited to speak in front of the California State Legislature. Write a 300–500-word speech to convey your ideas about the importance of information literacy.”

Candace Freeland Photography of Merit Award
Sponsor: The Mitford Museum & Discovery Center
Amount: Up to $750
Closing Date: September 1, 2026
Description: Award is open to U.S. photographers aged 8-22. Photographers are invited to submit black-and-white and color photos captured on a cell phone, based on the theme Food and Family.

Clarence & Barbara Taliaferro Scholarship
Sponsor: Darryl Taliaferro Ministries
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: September 1, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors and current undergraduate students. Applicant must submit a completed application.

Dependent Children Scholarship Program
Sponsor: Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: September 1, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to Tennessee residents who are dependent children of Tennessee law enforcement officers, firemen, or an emergency medical service technicians who has been killed or totally and permanently disabled while performing duties within the scope of such employment. Applicant must be an incoming or current undergraduate student at a Tennessee institution of higher education.

Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award
Sponsor: From the Top
Amount: Up to $10,000
Closing Date: September 1, 2026
Description: Award is open to classical instrumentalists, vocalists, and composers between the ages of 8 and 18 who have not yet entered college during the 2026-2027 academic year. This is the first deadline. Deadline II is November 9, 2026.

Leaders Save Lives Scholarship Program
Sponsor: American Red Cross
Amount: Up to $2,500
Closing Date: September 7, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to all high school and college students. Applicant must host an American Red Cross blood drive between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Youth Free Expression Film Contest: Documenting Our Democracy
Sponsor: National Coalition Against Censorship
Amount: Up to $1,000
Closing Date: September 9, 2026
Description: Contest is open to individuals living in the U.S. or its territories (but need not be citizens) who will be age 19 or younger on the day the film is submitted. Contestant must create a three minute film on this year’s theme: “Documenting Our Democracy.”

Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Sponsor: Breakthrough Prize Foundation
Amount: Up to $250,000
Closing Date: September 15, 2026
Description: Competition is open to students between the ages of 13 and 18 years of age. Applicant must explain a big scientific idea in physics, life sciences or mathematics with a short video two minutes maximum).

Gates Scholarship
Sponsor: The Gates Scholarship
Amount: Cost of attendance that is not already covered by other financial aid and the EFC
Closing Date: September 15, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to exceptional, Pell-eligible, minority, high school seniors who are student leaders. Ideal candidates will have an outstanding academic record in high school (top 10% of graduating class), demonstrated leadership ability, and exceptional personal success skills.

Ethical Torch Essay Scholarship
Sponsor: BBB Pacific Southwest
Amount: Up to $1,500
Closing Date: September 27, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students in grade 9-12 (graduating classes of 2027-2030) residing and enrolled in school in Orange County (California). Applicant must submit an essay on a ethical issue that they faced and how they handled it.

Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship
Sponsor: Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
Amount: Up to $20,000
Closing Date: September 30, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to current high school seniors attending school in the United States. Program recognizes students for their capacity to lead and service, and their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities.

Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship
Sponsor: Digital Responsibility
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: September 30, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to high school students in grades 9-12 and current college or graduate school students. Applicant must complete a short form and share a 140-character statement explaining why they will not text and drive.

FACT Scholarship
Sponsor: Federation of American Consumers and Travelers (FACT)
Amount: Up to $10,000
Closing Date: September 30, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors and incoming and current college students. Scholarship is only open to FACT members and their immediate family members.

No Sweat Scholarship
Sponsor: Cirkled In
Amount: $2,500.00
Closing Date: September 30, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students 13 years of age or older who are legal residents of the United States or the District of Columbia. Applicant must create a free Circkled in account.

R2C Scholarship
Sponsor: Return2College
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: September 30, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to U.S. citizens and legal residents who are starting a program of higher education (college or graduate school) within the next 12 months or are currently enrolled. Applicant must be 17 years of age or older (there is no maximum age limit). Applicant must share in three sentences of less why they are getting their degree.

AU Student Essay Contest
Sponsor: Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Amount: Up to $1,500
Closing Date: October 5, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to high school juniors and seniors in the United States. Applicant must submit an essay on a given topic related to the separation of religion and government.

Ethical Torch Essay Scholarship
Sponsor: BBB Pacific Southwest
Amount: Up to $1,500
Closing Date: October 11, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students in grade 9-12 (graduating classes of 2027-2030) residing and enrolled in school in Greater Arizona. Applicant must submit an essay on a ethical issue that they faced and how they handled it.

Strong Arm Leukemia Scholarship
Sponsor: John Foy & Associates
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: October 15, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students who have been affected by leukemia, either by being diagnosed themselves or someone they loved being diagnosed with leukemia. Applicant must be currently enrolled in an accredited college or university as an undergraduate or is an incoming freshmen at an accredited institution in the United States.

$1,500 Easy Scholarship: Offline Mode
Sponsor: DoSomething
Amount: $1,500.00
Closing Date: October 31, 2026
Description: No post, comment, or like is worth risking a life. Distracted driving claimed 3,208 lives in 2024, and you chose to Do Something about it! Share your story about why you chose to take the Offline Mode pledge, help your firends stay in #OfflineMode by sharing the pledge and toolkit, and show your community what it looks like to keep eyes on the road, and not on your feed. Submit your impact, and share why you took the offline Mode pledge and what going offline means to you. You’ll be eligible for the opportunity to earn up to a $1,500 scholarship.

CareerFitter Online Scholarship
Sponsor: CareerFitter
Amount: $500.00
Closing Date: October 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to incoming and current undergraduate and graduate students. Applicant must take a free career test and submit an essay on their perfect career.

Safety on the Road Scholarship
Sponsor: Lone Star Injury Attorneys
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: October 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors and current undergraduate and graduate students in the United States who have at least a 3.0 GPA. Applicant must submit an essay discussing their idea for improving road safety and the potential results of their proposed change.

Whistleblower Education Scholarship
Sponsor: Tony Munter Whistleblower Attorney
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: October 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to undergraduate, graduate, and law school students, as well as incoming college freshman at an accredited U.S. school. Applicant must submit an essay on a time they have stood up for something they believe in or a time they spoke out against wrongdoing.

Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award
Sponsor: From the Top
Amount: Up to $10,000
Closing Date: November 9, 2026
Description: Award is open to classical instrumentalists, vocalists, and composers between the ages of 8 and 18 who have not yet entered college during the 2026-2027 academic year.

Fields of Corn Photo Contest
Sponsor: National Corn Growers Association
Amount: Up to $500
Closing Date: November 17, 2026
Description: Contest is open to legal residents of the United States. Applicant must submit a photo that helps tell the story of farming field corn in America.

Illinois State Credit Union Scholarship
Sponsor: Illinois State Credit Union
Amount: Up to $2,000
Closing Date: November 30, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors and current college students between the age of 18 and 25 who are residents of the state of Illinois in McLean, Logan, DeWitt, Livingston, Stephenson, Winnebago, or LaSalle County. Applicant must be a member of Illinois State Credit Union in good standing.

Micklin Law Group Scholarship
Sponsor: The Micklin Law Group
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: December 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors who will be attending college in the fall. Applicant must submit a personal essay sharing their greatest strength and weakness.

Tommy Tranchin Award
Sponsor: The Dallas Foundation
Amount: Up to $3,000
Closing Date: December 31, 2026
Description: Award is open to North Texas students in grades 8-12 who have a physical, emotional, or intellectual disability.

Kelsey’s Law Scholarship
Sponsor: Michigan Auto Law
Amount: Up to $2,000
Closing Date: March 1, 2027
Description: Scholarship is open to 11th and 12th grade students (class of 2027 and 2028) attending any public or private Michigan high schools and have a valid Michigan driver’s license. Applicant must submit a video, graphic, or Tweet that resonates with teens and influences their driving behavior (reduce distracted driving).

Paradigm Challenge
Sponsor: Project Paradigm
Amount: Up to $100,000
Closing Date: May 1, 2027
Description: Challenge is open to students aged 4 to 18 years of age worldwide. Applicants may work in a team or alone to use kindness, creativity, and collaboration to help solve real-life problems.

Food Dreams Scholarship
Sponsor: Food Dreams
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: Rolling
Description: Scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors and current undergraduate students who are/will be pursuing a degree in culinary arts. Applicant must have at least a 3.0 GPA and be willing to commit to at least one year of employment in several Jean-Georges restaurant properties if selected for the scholarship.